Method of smelting ores in reverberatory furnaces



Jan. 29,, 1929.

G. W. PRINCE METHOD OF SMELTING ORES IN REVERBERATORY FURNACES Original Fiied July 23, 1926 INVENTOR ATTORN EYS Patented Jan. 2a, 1929.

UNITED sT GEORGE w. PRINCE, or CLEMENCEAU, ARIZONA, ASSIGNOR T0 UNITED vnnnn Exams SION MINING COMPANY, or NEW YO K, N. Y., A CORPORATION on DELAW.-

METHOD OF SMELTING ORES IN REVERBERATOBY FURNACES.

Original application filed July 2a, 1926, Serial No. 124.457. Divided and. an; application filed October 28,1927. Serial No. 229,440.

The object of my invention is to efi'ectually protect the side walls of the furnace chamber from the deleterious action of the smelting ore and the extreme heat generated in the furnace chamber by supplying the fettling or other protective material, such as siliceous ore, to the sides of the furnace chamber from means such as fluid pressure guns located in the firing end wall of the furnace chamber,

side walls by varyingthe fluid pressure; the

ability to supply the fettling material to the desired points along the'side walls by changing the direction of the incomin material; the great saving in the expense 0 protecting the side walls by the elimination of special type of bricks; and the great increase in the life of the furnace and the savin in theexpense of maintenance of the urnace, by eliminating the fettlin holes through the side walls and arch o the furnace, which holes materially weaken the furnace structure.

Another advantage is the ability to use increased quantities of siliceous ores as the fettling material, because I can carry a higher percentage of silica in the charge, to economically produce a' more siliceous slag than where the same amount of siliceous ores is added directly to the charge.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 represents a longitudinal vertical section taken through a reverberatory furnace embodying the means for carrying out my invention, the section being taken in the plane of the line 1-1 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 2 represents a similar section taken in the plane of'the lineII -II of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 3 represents on an enlarged scale a transverse vertical section through" the furnace, taken in the plane of the line TIL-III of'Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. t represents a detail longitudinal horizontal section taken in the IV- IV of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 represents a side view of the 1111 for blowing the fettling material into the rnace chamber and along the side walls thereof, from'the firing end wall of the furnace chamber.

6 represents an end view of the gun. Fig. 7 represents a top plan view of the The arch of the reverberatory furnaceis denoted by 1, the bottom by 2, the side walls by 3, 3, the firing end wall by 4 and the flue end wall by 5. This furnace may be proplane of the line vided at its firing end with the usual nozzles 6 for the introduction of the heating medium and at its-other end with the uptake 7.

usual flue or In the present instance where two longitudinal mounds of smelting ore are to be formed .and maintained on the floor of the furnace chamber, the arch 1 is provided with two longitudinal rows of closely spaced passages 8,,the rows being spaced. about equally distant from each other and from the side walls, through which passages the smelting ores are fed in from hoppers 9 communicatingwith any suitable feeding mechanism (not shown 'herein) in such a manner that longitudinal protect the side walls from the deleterious 0 pressure guns located in the firing end wall of the furnace chamber adjacent the side 'walls of the said chamber. Each gun is shown as comprising a hopper 10 for receiving the cates with an L-coupling 11 provided with a horizontally arranged barrel 12 which projects through the firing end wall 4 adjacent one of the side walls 3. A fluid pressure supply nozzle 13 is located within the coupling 11 so as to blow the fettling' material fed. from the hopper 1 0 outwardly through the barrel fettling material, which hopper communi- 12 into the space between the mound of smelting ore and its adjusting side Wall 3 of the furnace. A valve 14 is located in the fluid pressure line 15 for regulating the amount of fettling material blown from the gun by varyguns in the firing end wall of the furnace chamber, I am enabled to eliminate the usual holes in the side walls of the furnace chamber and in the arch, which holes not only materially Weaken the structure of the furnace but also shorten its effective life. By this arrangement I am also enabled to eliminate the necessity of providing special heat resisting bricks which are very expensive.

Furthermore, by this invention I am enabled to useincreased quantities of siliceous ores where siliceous ores are used as the fettling material, as it is possible to carry a higher percentage of silica in the total charge and to economically produce" a more siliceous slag by {my method than where the same amounttof siliceous ore is added directly to the charge, thereby obtaining a material saving in the cost of the-flux.

Furthermore, it will be seen that there will be a material saving in the cost of operation.

Also by the use of fluid pressure devices located at the firing end of the furnace chamber for placing the fettling material along the side-walls of the chamber, the smelting ore may befed through the arch at a distance from its .side walls, thereby forming longitudinal mounds spaced from the side walls whereby the smelting of the ore is greatly expedited because of the greater area of the ore being exposed to the'heating medium.

Furthermore, the placing of the smelting ore and 'fettling material in the furnace chamber as herein described causes a uniform wearing effect on the arch as distinguished from those furnaces where the charge is fed into the furnace-"chamber adjacent its side 'wallsand remains along the same.

The apparatus shown and described but not claimed herein forms the subject matter of my copending application filed July 23, 1926, Serial No. 124,457, of which this is a division.

\Vhat I claim is 1. In the method of smelting ores in reverberatory furnaces, depositing the smelting ore along the bottom of the furnace chamber from points spaced from the sidewalls thereof and blowing fettling material from the firing end wall of the furnace chamher into the spaces between said smelting ore and side walls of the furnace chamber, to protect the side walls from the action of the smelting ore and the intense heat in the furnace chamber.

2. In the method of smelting ores in reverberatory furnaces, depositing the smelting ore a ong the bottom of the furnace chamber from points spaced from the side walls thereof and blowing fettling material from the firing end wall of the furnace chamber into the spaces between said smelting ore and side walls of the furnace chamber at predetermined points along the same, to protect the side walls from the action of the smelting ore and the intense heat in the furnace chamber.

3. In the method of smelting ores in reverberatory furnaces, depositing the'smelting ore along the bottom of the furnace cham- I ber from points spaced from the side Walls thereof and blowing fettling-material from the firing end Wall of the furnace chambers;

into the spaces between said smelting ore and 'side walls of the furnace chamber in regulable quantities, to protect the side Walls from the action of the smelting ore and the intense heat in the furnace chamber.

4. In the method of smelting ores in re- Verberatory furnaces, depositing the smelting ore along the bottom of the furnace chamber from points spaced from the side walls thereof'and'iblowing fettling material from the firing end wall of the furnace cham-' her into the spaces between said smelting ore and side walls of thefu'rnace chamber at predetermined points along the same and in regulable quantities, to protect the side Walls from the action of the smelting ore and the intense heat in thefurnace chamber.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name this 22 day of October, 1927. 

